Content is king.  It’s a mantra of sorts for those who want to rank.  The goal is simple:  craft quality content, organically, that’s relevant to your site so others will link to your content.  The search engines, following these links, see your content and, hopefully, bump you up the ladder to that all-important first page.  Meeting that goal is, unfortunately, rarely simple.  Beyond the normal competition, sites also have to contend with scraper sites – those sites who readily “borrow” content from other sites.

One of the primary concerns is that scraper sites can – and do – out-rank the legitimate content owners.  It’s effectively spam and it’s something Google has been fighting ad nauseum.  The “Panda” algorithm was launched earlier this year and its sites were somewhat set on eradicating the troublesome “content farms.”  Then in June, an update to Panda attempted to refine the quest.  The June update also took steps to reintegrate sites which had been removed inadvertently.  However, the scraper situation wasn’t adequately resolved.  If anything, Panda might have done more harm than good.

Crowd-sourcing Datapoints

To help Google get a handle on scraper sites and refine the algorithm even further, Matt Cutts recently sent out the following tweet:

Scrapers getting you down? Tell us about blog scrapers you see: http://goo.gl/S2hIh We need datapoints for testing.

The link points to a Google Doc form titled simply “Report scraper pages” and, according to the first paragraph:  “Google is testing algorithmic changes for scraper sites (especially blog scrapers). We are asking for examples, and may use data you submit to test and improve our algorithms.”

If the datapoint “call to arms” proves successful, it could mean significant changes to rankings, hopefully for the better.  Unless, of course, you’re a scraper site/content farm or get confused with one (again).  If Google doesn’t get a handle on the spam, which some have complained has gotten to be a serious problem, Bing may see its share of the market increase.  Assuming, that is, it doesn’t suffer the same scraper blight.

An increasing number of people are calling themselves search engine optimization (SEO) experts every day.  Most of these so-called experts start a website dedicated to SEO, publish an e-book to boost their authority and get into hour-long discussions about what SEO tactics are actually effective.  Do they really know what they’re doing?

Part of the reason for this surge in SEO experts is that there are dozens and dozens of search engine optimization myths floating around on the web.  These are myths that any average Joe can pick up, learn about and continue promoting as if it’s the next best thing to butter.  The reality is that some tactics and strategies that worked before are no longer effective today.  Free your mind of the following myths in order to really see how SEO works.

Myth #1: Submitting your URL to search engines is the number one way to get indexed.

This may have worked five years ago, but what’s important is getting quality links to your site from relevant sites, not linking out.

Myth #2: SEO is a one-time task that you can set and forget.

So many “experts” will optimize sites and consider it a done deal.  SEO is an ongoing process that can never be finished.  Considering how much SEO has evolved over the years, people need to utilize new strategies as search engines evolve.

Myth #3: Keyword density is a surefire way to up your rankings.

While having keywords is helpful, having content that is dense with awkwardly-sounding keywords that don’t make sense does not work with search engines.  It’s considered spammy.

Myth #4: Every site needs a Google Sitemap to boost rankings.

As long as your website can be easily crawled, you don’t need a sitemap.  Google doesn’t give URLs more value just because they are included in the Sitemap.  Sitemaps are simply helpful for being discovered, not necessarily increasing rankings.

Myth #5: Any content will increase rankings.

At one point, content was king but people abused the way content works for a site.  Having relevant and fresh content on a consistent basis on your site certainly helps with SEO, but just pilling on poorly written content for the sake of having content will not improve your rankings.

Myth #6: Quantity of incoming links is the most important link-building factor in ranking.

It’s the quality of links pointing to your site, not the quantity—thought it would be great if you can have quantity on top of quality.  Relevant and high quality links contribute to the ranking potential of a website in a noticeable way, whereas large numbers of low-quality links are a waste of time and could even hurt your rankings.

Myth #7: Higher PageRank means better rankings.

Having a higher PageRank simply reflects the fact that a website has links pointing to it; it does not speak of the quality of the links (see myth #6) or the value that Google assigns to those links (and consequently your website).  PageRank, however, does not have a direct effect on your website’s rankings (anymore).

Myth #8: A Flash page means you can’t boost your rankings.

A website that is all Flash will have drawbacks when it comes to SEO.  But, if you have a flash page and utilize other SEO strategies, you can still get good results.  The challenge is that you will have fewer options for optimization.

Myth #9: Keyword meta tags are important for search engine rankings.

Filling up meta tags with keywords will not impact SERPs (search engine result pages) in a noticeable way, and overdoing meta tags may even hurt rankings. Search engines no longer give any weight to keywords in meta tags in their ranking algorithms thanks to spammers.

Myth #10: Higher rankings through SEO can be guaranteed.

By focusing on the right SEO strategies consistently, you can get improved results, but nothing is ever guaranteed.

1. There are only a few weeks left until a major holiday (e.g. Valentine’s Day), and you are looking for SEO services in order to get your rankings up in time for the shopping surge.
Search engine optimization is not a quick-fix solution. So, one should not wait until a holiday approaches before starting to think about signing up for an SEO service. SEO is a long-term ranking solution, not a quick fix; this means that it is necessary to have a short-term plan until SEO can produce sustainable results.

2. You just set up a brand new website selling handmade jewelry, and are looking for an SEO company that will help you rank for the keyword ‘jewelry’ (soon).
It is worth repeating that commitment to an SEO campaign should not be taken lightly. SEO is a slow process. One should expect to invest months (if not years), not days or weeks, before starting to see results. Of course the length of time that it takes to achieve rankings depends not only on the potential of a website, but also on the capabilities of the SEO company, as well as the competition level of the keywords being targeted.

3. You are considering several SEO proposals and your top choice is the cheapest one and the low price is why it is the top choice.
Even though high prices do not necessarily guarantee good service, extremely low pricing will, almost always, result in lackluster rankings (at best). Do not make the price your main deciding factor. One should take the time and compare the services being offered, and work towards getting the best value (not the cheapest price). It is also highly recommended that one does her homework before approaching SEO companies—take some time to learn the difference between white-hat, gray-hat, and black-hat SEO. The time spent on learning a little bit about search engine optimization will pay dividends by keeping money from being wasted on unwholesome services, or ones that are not going to produce acceptable results.

4. Your site offers specialized auctions and you insist that your competition is ebay.
Being realistic is as important as anything else when embarking on a search engine optimization campaign. Everyone wants their fledgling business to thrive and play with the big boys, but knowing a websites limits can be invaluable. A runner who has been practicing for only a few weeks, does not think an Olympic sprinter as his competition. As such, the owner of a new website should not see the biggest players in his industry as the competition. Failing to do this, will inevitably result in disappointment and wasted funds.

5. The only marketing/advertising activity you are looking to engage in is SEO.
SEO is a very attractive option when it comes to Internet marketing; however it cannot be the only approach to marketing a website. Having top results in organic search engine result pages (SERPs) is highly desirable, but not every website is able to solely rely on organic search engine traffic to succeed. It is recommended that a search engine optimization campaign be supplemented with other marketing/advertising activities such as pay-per-click advertising, display advertising (banner ads), or affiliate marketing. As long as these alternative options produce positive ROI, there is no reason to stop them completely. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Why not use a cliché if it applies? :)

There are numerous articles, and probably just as many opinions, about the most important aspect of a search engine optimization campaign. These opinions come from bona fide industry veterans as well as self-proclaimed gurus; however, very few mention the oft ignored aspect of any SEO campaign that can make or break the entire effort: proper expectations.

The reality of the matter is that not every website will have the capability to rank, and not every website owner will have the intestinal fortitude to dedicate time and treasure into a long-term effort designed for earning rankings and authority. So, not every SEO campaign will have the potential to fully succeed, and should, for that very reason, come with a well defined set of expectations (outcomes) based on the efforts (input) that the site owner is prepared to invest. It should be noted that sometimes it’s not the owner of the website who is the problem, but the SEO service provider who fails to set proper expectations based on the information gathered from the client (if any) regarding their commitment to the SEO process.

The old computer programming adage “Garbage In, Garbage Out” can be applied to SEO (or almost anything else really). Good (long-term) rankings cannot be gained by bad work, but mediocre rankings can be achieved by mediocre work. This is the simple truth, and should be embraced by all those who seek to rise above the competition.

The onus of setting the proper expectation falls on SEO companies and consultants. The prospect of signing up a new client and collecting payment should not keep SEO professionals from asking whether they should. Not every website owner who is willing to spend money on SEO should be allowed to without the setting of proper expectations.

Are we being too naïve about how the World works? Perhaps; but the notion that ethics should always trump profits is something worth advocating, even if it only gains scattered support.

1. Get rid of the ‘alt’ tag for the avatar/gravatar.
By removing the alt tag for the avatar, you are eliminating numerous occurances of the term ‘avatar’ (or gravatar) throughout your blog. This will help eliminate overcrowding your blog posts with a term that is most likely irrelevant to the topic at hand.

2. Convert the comment Permalink anchor text to an image.
Just like the above recommendation, by removing the anchor text ‘Permalink’ from your blog, you’ll help eliminate the possibility of the word ‘Permalink’ overpowering other terms that you may be trying to rank for.

3. Use alt text for any images you use in your blog posts.
In the above two recommendations, removing potential problems is the key; however, by adding alt text to images in your blog, you are giving the search engines something extra by which to rank your site (even if it is just in the image search results).

Note: None of the above is a good substitute for good content.

Humility can be an important character trait to have when it comes to marketing your business, and especially search engine optimization (SEO). Having a realistic view of your product, and website will go a long way in dictating where you stand in your niche, who your competition really is, and what is possible through search engine optimization.

Often times, in the excitement of starting a business, or an earnest attempt at Internet marketing for an existing business, the reality of what is possible is overlooked in favor of rosy pictures painted by marketing firms. So it is very important to establish a website’s realistic place in the Internet landscape, and specifically in the niche that the business/website serves.

An example of failing to realize the proper context in which your website/business finds itself in is illustrated by a potential client who approached us after having launched a new auction site. During the first conversation the client started speaking about the competition, ebay. Unfortunately, this is often the case where entrepreneurs fail to realize their place in the scheme of things. Having big dreams is not a fault, but operating on a reality clouded by those very dreams is a sure way to meet unfavorable results.

So if you are looking to use any type of Internet marketing service, especially SEO, do yourself a favor and make sure you have a realistic view of where you fall in the hierarchy of your niche. If you do, then you are less likely to invest money in services that are not going to produce results.

1. Guaranteed Results: Guaranteed search engine rankings are simply a sales ploy. It is impossible to guarantee a particular set of results since the search engines constantly evolve and change the way they rank websites. At best, a search engine optimization company can make an educated guess as to what type of results they might be able to achieve based on existing factors (e.g. current rankings, competition level, etc). If an SEO company offers a guarantee, it should serve as a warning.

2. No Graduated Approach: A graduated approach means having a plan to gradually grow the ranking potential and the rankings of a given website. If you have a brand new website and the SEO company you are considering offers to rank you for your industry’s top terms in their first stage of work, then this should serve as a warning. Just like no one can earn an advanced college degree before paying their dues at the undergraduate level, a new website cannot (in overwhelming majority of cases) rank for top industry terms before it can rank for low and mid-level keywords.

3. Quick to Change Pricing: If the salesperson is too quick to change pricing (without changing service parameters) in order to close the sale, then it is highly likely that they were overcharging for their services from the beginning. If this is the case then the SEO company has taken no initiative to determine the value of their services, and simply tries to get the highest fee possible from each client. This is not the type of company you want to work with.

4. Provides a Quote without Detailed Discussions: If you receive a price quote or proposal after a brief phone call or soon after sending in a quote request, you should be weary. One of the most important parts of doing search engine optimization is finding out what the client wants and needs. That information should then be used to determine whether the website in question is capable of achieving those goals. If you receive a written price quote or proposal soon after you have submitted a quote request then the sales person could not have done enough research to be able to price the proposal correctly and simply went for the highest price she thinks he can get from you.

5. Claims Authority Based On Own Rankings: Some SEO companies will claim that they can get you results just because of the fact that they themselves have good rankings in the search engines. What they fail to mention is that the ranking is due to the age of their site and the massive number of incoming links, which they are not going to be able to provide for you (in most cases). So this is a false argument on their part. There is no logical correlation between the rankings of an SEO company’s website and their ability to attain the same type of ranking for their clients.